Even some of Rick Perry’s Republican legislative allies seem to be a bit impatient with the governor’s national presidential explor-a-tour. This report was written by Gary Sharrer of the Austin bureau.

The state House adjourned abruptly Friday without debating an anti-groping bill that Speaker Joe Straus said would turn Texas “into a laughingstock.”

Gov. Rick Perry placed the issue on the special session agenda in his continuing campaign against the federal government. But federal officials say any effort to criminalize pat-down searches could shut down commercial air flights out of Texas.

House Speaker Rep. Joe Straus (Harry Cabluck/Associated Press)

“The bill without some serious revisions appears to me to be nothing more than an ill advised publicity stunt,” Straus, R-San Antonio, said. “It’s unenforceable, ill-advised and mis-directed to uniformed security personnel — not where appropriately it should be aimed, which is in Washington to the bosses of these people.”

Perry spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger disagreed with the Speaker’s description of the bill.

“The dignity and security of Texas airline passengers is a serious issue,” she said. “Just yesterday, days after this issue was added to the call, the TSA changed their policies on invasive screenings for children under 12.”

She also discounted the possibility that the federal government would actually carry through with a threat of shutting down Texas airports. Instead, she saw legal action against the state as a more likely outcome.

HB 41 would make it a crime for airport security to touch the private parts of folks during passenger pat-downs. Perry and some of his legislative allies view those security checks as unreasonable groping and want to make it a Class A misdemeanor if a federal agent knowingly touches a traveler’s “anus, sexual organ, buttocks or breast.” Federal officials recently warned state officials that airport travel from Texas may be suspended if they interfere with measures designed to enhance airline safety.

The House also could not conduct any official business on Friday because not enough lawmakers showed up for work. That’s what happens when the governor turns groping into a legislative priority, Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio said.

It takes at least 100 of the chamber’s 150 members to reach the necessary quorum to take official action. There was no formal head count, although some members said fewer than 80 lawmakers showed up.

Republicans have a super-majority of 101 members.

“This is an indication of the Legislature’s interest in the governor’s subjects that he is prioritizing in the call,” Villarreal said. “He’s going to bring us into a special session for a groping bill?”

Only the governor can call special legislative sessions and determine the agenda.

We are waiting a response from the governor’s office.

Perry recently added the anti-groping legislation to the agenda of the special session, which he called more than three weeks ago for lawmakers to pass legislation needed to distribute a $4 billion cut to public education.

Straus said he has not received any direction from Perry in terms of what the governor wanted to accomplish with the anti-groping bill.

“The only thing I have seen from the governor was on YouTube,” Straus said in reference to the governor responding to questions from a supporter of the anti-groping legislation at a recent book-signing even in New Orleans.